Change of Heart
by starwarsfan16
Summary: Latts and Dengar are assigned to cooperatively work to assassinate a Sepertist pawn. With their main concern being money, will these thoughts change? Latts/Dengar
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own star wars: the clone wars. George Lucas (and I guess now Disney) does.**

In the large city of Mos Eisley, on the desert planet of Tatooine, Dengar checked for available bounties in a bar. It was stuffy and roasting hot; a typical day on Tatooine. The bar was also filled to the brim, which made it even warmer. Dengar was a human bounty hunter, who wore rugged, beat-up armor and wrapped his head with a large white cloth, which only made the heat that much more unbearable. He mainly worked with Boba, another young bounty hunter, and his group. This time, however, he wanted all the money for himself. After all, money was his main priority.

Curiously, Dengar searched through the list of bounties. One from Jabba came up, describing a Neimoidian who had been giving the Hutt a rough time. The contract required two bounty hunters for a guaranteed success. That troubled Dengar. He usually worked with other hunters, but that did not mean he enjoyed it.

_I guess I could work with someone else. It definitely pays more than enough. . . Alright, I'll take it._

He downloaded the contract on his transmitter and headed towards Jabba's palace.

In different bar on the other side of Mos Eisley, Latts Razzi was doing the same. She was a Theelin, with orange hair, blue eyes and bright purple skin. She wore sleeveless battle armor and had a long, green metal scarf that she used in combat. Latts also frequently worked with Boba, but she needed a job that paid more. The five-way cuts were not supplying her with as much as she would have liked. As she ran down the list she came up on a simple, two-person contract for Jabba.

_Well, it's better than splitting the money five ways. . . I could also kill my partner and take all of it anyway._

Unknowingly, she took the same job as Dengar.

Latts grabbed a speeder and headed for Jabba's palace. She parked outside and entered the door to party room. She could not believe who she saw talking with the Hutt; Dengar.

_Ugh. I thought I would be rid of idiots on this contract. I never win . . . Well, Dengar isn't too bad, _she thought.

Dengar finished his conversation and looked over to see Latts staring at him. He gave her a cocky smile and she looked away. Slowly, he walked up to her.

"Well hello there, darling. Are you my partner on this bounty?" he asked, still smiling.

"Unfortunately," she replied, her tone serious. "What's the deal here?"

"Well, it looks like a simple assassination contract. He's located on a far forest moon. Jabba didn't give me a name, just coordinates." He handed her the details on the holo-computer.

Latts scanned the contract, and then looked back at Dengar. "Okay, let's get this over with."

_He's as cocky as ever, but at least he seems to be taking this seriously._

They left the palace, passing multiple Gamorian guards and other scum. Dengar smiled as they got to the landing platform.

"Okay sweetheart, there's the ship. I didn't have too many credits to spend, but it should be big enough for the both of us," he said, pointing at a fairly small spacecraft.

They walked inside. It had a cockpit with two pilot seats, a small bedroom with one bed, and a cramped refresher with a shower, sink, and toilet.

"Wow, you are so cheap," she laughed.

He gave her a small smile and blushed a little. "Well, it's not the biggest, but it'll do. We can take shifts. One sleeps while the other pilots the ship. It should take only a day to get to the target system."

"Alright," she mumbled. "We better get going so we can kill the target before he moves. I can take the first shift if you want."

"Nah, I've got it. You get some rest. Don't break anything, 'cause that's credits out of my pocket," he grumbled.

Latts laughed. "Whatever." She walked into the bedroom and lie down.

Dengar sat in the pilot seat and started the ship. He flew up into space and jumped to light speed. Hours went by of staring into the blue colors of hyperspace.

_Latts doesn't seem to be so thrilled about working alone with me. Then again, she's rarely thrilled. I should have thought this one through. _

He checked the clock to see it was time to switch shifts. Setting the autopilot, he got up and walked into the bedroom. Latts was calmly asleep, her breathing steady as a metronome.

_Since when did Latts look this good? . . . No, no, you're not falling for her. _

Dengar was about to wake her up, but then stopped. She was too peaceful; he couldn't ruin that. The bounty hunter carefully pulled the blanket back up to her shoulder. He turned and left for the controls.

Latts, not actually asleep, peeked over her shoulder to watch Dengar leave.

_I guess that arrogant fool does have a heart. _

She blushed and fell back to sleep.

Dengar silently piloted the ship. He struggled against exhaustion, fighting to keep his eyes for hours. Latts got up, bored of "sleeping". As he heard her coming, he quickly shook away his tired expression.

"So, someone is finally awake," he said, with his usual cocky smile.

She gave him a small half-smile. "Yeah. Now why are you stealing my shift?"

Dengar blushed. "You looked tired. Besides, I didn't want to listen to your nagging."

"Did that also force you to pull the covers over me?" she asked, laughing.

He started to get nervous.

_Damn, she knows. _

"Alright Sunshine, it's your turn to drive," he said, quickly changing the subject.

Dengar got up and strolled into the bedroom. Taking off his armored vest, he slowly lay in bed, longing for rest to come.

Latts took over the controls and drove the rest of the way.

_Does he actually care for me? Why else would he let me sleep?_

They reached the moon after a few hours. Latts landed the ship and got up to wake Dengar. The blanket-covered man was calmly snoring in the bed.

She smiled, almost laughing, at the sight. However, he needed to wake up. Latts grabbed his rifle and threw it at his chest.

"Owwww! What's the big idea?" he groaned.

"We're here, so come on, lazy."

"Fine. Better get up before you throw something else at me," he said, chuckling.

She smiled at him and grabbed her pistol.

They exited the ship and took their first glance of the moon's surface. It was gorgeous; a light blanket of snow covered the mixture of palm trees and bright green conifers. The sunlight glittered off the snow making it shine brilliantly. A strong pine scent filled the cool air, carried by a slow breeze that caused the trees to sway in rhythm.

Latts shivered, but hid it quickly.

Dengar was nice and warm with everything he wore. "Let's get moving. Do you know where the target is?" he asked.

"Yeah, he's in a well-fortified camp about five clicks north," she answered.

_Great. I'll freeze to death before I even get to the target._

"Right," he said. They started cautiously towards the coordinates of the separatist base. An hour passed of silence; they needed to hear the things going on around them.

Latts noticed the dozens of peeks Dengar was taking at her. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Nothing, just . . . surveying the area," he answered, winking at her.

Latts rolled her eyes at him. "All men are the same."

Dengar was about to argue when he heard clanking metal. His eyes widened. "Oh no."

Laser shots fired at them as they took cover behind some trees. Dengar aimed around a large pine and shot down two commandos, but more were coming.

Latts whipped her metal scarf around the neck of a droid and threw it against the tree. As she was getting back behind cover, a laser shot hit her right shoulder. She winced in pain, but kept up the fight. She turned and shot down three commandos. Another laser hit her in the right hand. This time she let out a cry and fell to the ground. Dengar heard and could only imagine what happened.

_Dammit! Stupid droids. _

"Stay down Latts, I'm coming!" he shouted.

Dengar ran to her position, which was surrounded by a few large rocks and palm trees, to protect her. He peered around a tree to see the last four droids coming at them. He ran around and shot two of them down. The remaining two came too close for guns. They simultaneously hit him in the gut and one threw him to the side. Then they started heading for Latts. Dengar looked up and knew where they were going.

The commandos looked down at the injured Latts with their guns aimed at her head. "Terminate her."

Dengar's blood boiled. He quickly jumped up and yelled, "THE HELL YOU WILL!"

Dengar charged one of the droids. He twisted its neck and ripped the head off. However, his victory was short-lived; the other droid ran up behind him and struck him in the back. Before he could react, the droid was shot through the chest by Latts.

"Take that you pile of scrap!" she yelled.

Dengar ran to Latts' side. The shot that hit her hand went straight through and she was bleeding. Her shoulder had only been glanced. Dengar didn't know much about healing, but he did what he could. He ripped off two pieces of cloth from his headdress and wrapped them around her wounds. Latts winced in pain.

"Maybe you should learn how to fight," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

She looked up and saw the parts of his face that had previously been hidden by the cloth. Burn marks and various scars were revealed. The burns seemed excruciating and one scar appeared to have once been a near fatal wound; the old cut was deep, and dark crimson in color. She started to feel sorry for him. _The pain he must have endured. . ._

Dengar finished up the bandaging and helped her lean against a tree. The sun was setting and Latts was in too much pain to continue.

"You stay here and I'll set up camp," he said, reassuringly.

Latts nodded in response. She was too embarrassed to say anything.

_Great. He'll never let me live this down. He seems to be genuinely concerned about me though . . . That's odd._

Noticing how bad Latts was shivering, Dengar went to gather some firewood. When he came back, he sat down near Latts, who was trying to get some sleep. He lit a fire, but it didn't seem to help. Hesitantly, he took off the rest of his headdress off and laid it over her shoulders.

Latts, who was not yet asleep, grabbed his hand and pulled him close. She kissed his cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"No problem, sweetheart," he answered, "I'll watch for tonight. You get some rest, so we can finish the contract by tomorrow." He got up and continued his watch.


	2. Chapter 2

Latts woke up feeling a little bit dazed. Her arm was very sore, but movable. She could work with it. Dengar's warm cloth was still wrapped around her, reminding her of how caring he had been last night. As a blush painted her cheeks, she looked around for her arrogant savior. She finally spotted him slumped under a nearby tree. The fire had already died out and it was a good time to start moving again. She stood and, carrying his headdress in her hands, walked up to the sleeping man. Kneeling down, she grabbed his shoulder and shook it.

"Come on, idiot, we have to move," she said, sternly.

He moved a little and lazily opened his eyes. "Morning, Sunshine," he mumbled, yawning.

She gave him his headdress. His multiple facial injuries still made her feel a little sorry for him, but he was tough. He was probably proud of them.

Dengar stood up and examined Latts' injured arm. "Does it hurt?" he asked, with more concern in his tone than he wanted.

She gave him a soft smile. "Not anymore, thanks to you. Come on, we better get moving." She grabbed her pistol and started heading down the route to the base. Dengar finished wrapping his head with the cloth and followed her.

They got to a ridge and surveyed the area. They spotted the base in the valley below. It was a circular, walled compound, filled with droids, and one large command tower in the middle. It had a round elevator down the center where droids kept entering and exiting. Multiple guards walked the perimeter. However, Latts noticed that there seemed to be less of them on the eastern side.

"Well, this looks impossible," Dengar grumbled. "Got any ideas on how to get in?"

Latts gave him a confident grin. "I may have an idea. We'll get close to the east side under the cover of darkness. Then, we'll scale that weakly guarded section of the wall there, sneak into the tower, and take out the target."

". . . You may have an _idea_? That sounds way more thought out."

"Think it'll work?"she asked.

"Definitely," he said, nodding.

They spent hours on the ridge just enjoying each other's company, even though most of it was Dengar boasting and Latts hitting him for it. Eventually, nightfall came. The trees seemed to glow under the moonlight. It was rather peaceful, the only sound a low whisper of the wind as it brushed gently against the trees. It went unnoticed to Dengar, but Latts' heart fluttered at the sights and sounds.

"Okay, here we go," Dengar announced, confidently.

They started down the ridge and slowed as they neared the wall. They spotted two droids patrolling the perimeter and quickly disabled them. The two hunters then leaned up against the wall and looked up to see a super battle droid patrolling the top. Dengar quickly aimed and shot it in the head. With the guard disabled, they shot their grappling cables and scaled the wall. When they reached the top, they searched for more patrolling droids. Most of them must have been recharging, because there were very few outside. Dengar and Latts began to move toward the tower. They ducked into the shadows to avoid a droid patrol, and then continued on. Soon they reached the tower's main doors, which were guarded by a pair of Magnaguards.

"I call the one on the left," Latts said, winking at Dengar.

"Alright, then I've got the other one. Let's go," Dengar whispered, with his usual cocky smile.

Dengar shot twice, taking the right droid's head off. Then he swept its legs out from under it and shot it through the chest. Latts, ignoring her injuries, wrapped her scarf around the other droid's arms. She flipped it over her head, slamming it against the ground. Quickly pinning the droid in place with her leg, she drew her pistol and shot it multiple times.

"Well, remind me not to make you mad," Dengar chuckled.

She gave him a sarcastic smile and they continued on. Opening the doors, they started down a glass hallway. They got on the large, circular elevator and headed to the top of the tower.

Latts frowned. "This is too easy. Something is wrong."

"Good, I'm not the only one that noticed," Dengar smiled.

As the elevator reached the top floor, Dengar and Latts readied their weapons. The doors opened to reveal a circular room with a desk and chair facing towards a large window on the opposite wall. The two hunters walked cautiously to the middle of the room. As they neared the chair, Dengar grabbed the side and quickly turned it around. A beeping communicator lay on the seat.

"TRAP!" Latts yelled as droids started coming out of hidden corridors; Magnaguards, Super battle droids, Commando droids, and Droidekas. They were completely surrounded. Dengar charged a Magnaguard who kneed him in the gut and electrocuted him with its Electrostaff. Latts tried to help, but was stunned by a Commando droid. The two were dragged off to the Hold.

Latts, feeling very sore, opened her eyes to see Dengar barely conscious on the adjacent side of the cell.

"Dengar, are you alright?" she coughed out.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but I think we ended up captured," he sighed.

"The droids cheated. We almost got that slime. How did he know we were coming?" she asked, confused.

"I don't know, but we'll get him. These droids won't hold us forever," he declared.

Just then, a guard came in and grabbed Dengar's arm. "You are coming with me." Dengar struggled, but two other droids came and helped. They dragged Dengar away and Latts was left to sit in her cell alone. She began to worry, but remembered how tough and stubborn Dengar was. He would be fine.

Hours went by and they still had not brought Dengar back. She thought she heard screams, but hoped it was just her imagination. A feeling of dread spread across her body.

_What could they be doing to him? What are they trying to get out of him? I hope he's okay._

She heard droids coming and looked to see two guards dragging Dengar behind them. The ray shield was deactivated and Dengar was thrown inside. He looked horrible. He had multiple new cuts and burns to add to his "collection". Latts could feel tears welling up in her eyes. She had never seen him so helpless before.

_He always took punishment without showing pain, but this was too much._

She quickly pulled him to her side so that his head was lying in her lap. She stroked his cheek and checked his wounds. Dengar's body started to move and a silent cough came from his throat.

"Dengar, are you alright?" she asked, softly. A shaky tone was creeping up in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a few cuts. It'll take more than that to break me," he stated, his arrogance returning.

Latts began to cradle his head in her arms. She gently kissed his forehead and continued to stroke his cheek. He lifted his hand and caressed hers.

"I'll be fine," he said, sincerely.

Latts began to cry. She leaned down and kissed his lips. Dengar's eyes shot wide open. She pulled away, with tears still in her eyes.

Dengar, still a little dazed, gave her a small smile and wiped away her tears.

"Don't worry sweetheart, we'll get out of here. I promise," he said, confidently.

The droids returned to torture him more. Dengar gave her a wink and managed to pull himself up. The droids entered and grabbed him by his arms. Latts, knowing what the wink meant, tripped a guard and quickly twisted its head off. Dengar went for the other. He gave it a strong kick to the gut, making it bend over. A swift elbow shot to the back of its head followed, smashing the droid down.

Dengar smiled at Latts, "I told you we would make it out. Now let's get this scum."

With the ray shield down, they left to find their equipment. They came across the guard area where they found a battle droid seated at a table, examining their weapons. Latts sneaked up behind it and knocked the chair down. Dengar responded by stomping on the droid's head, making pieces fly across the room. They grabbed their weapons and headed for the elevator.

"Let's head for the top again. This time they're not expecting us," she said, hoping she was right.

"Alright, but be ready for a fight."

They reached the top floor and the elevator doors slid open. They crept in, guns raised. The room was dark and empty.

"Okay, no one's here," Dengar stated.

Latts saw the computer on the desk and started searching through recent files and documents. One described a back-up base on Mustafar as a response to the bounty hunter threat. Latts smashed her fist against the table.

"The target moved. He's on Mustafar."

"Then we're going to Mustafar," Dengar said.

The two quickly left for their ship to chase after their target.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. ****(Dang it!)**

Getting back to the ship was hell. The bounty hunters had to constantly dodge explosions while also blasting any enemies they came across. A good fifty droids and two miles later, Dengar and Latts ran into their ship, exhausted. Dengar started the engines and took off before they could be pursued. He set the autopilot for Mustafar and the ship jumped into hyperspace. Dengar sat back in one of the pilot chairs, staring into the light blue of light-speed. It calmed him down.

Latts came in and sat in the co-pilot seat. She joined him in watching the illuminating, cyan streaks go by. As she relaxed, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Dengar was staring at her. She slowly turned the seat toward him.

"What is it?" Latts asked, concerned.

He leaned forward and stared her straight in the eyes. Dengar was sweating from how nervous he was, but he had a question that needed to be answered.

"What happened in the cell, did you . . . mean what you did in there or was that just the heat of the moment?" he asked, his voice shaky.

She gently took his hand and gave him a reassuring smile. "Of course I meant it."

She leaned in more and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. He gave a smile in return.

"Good, I was worried you would reject me. Then again, who could reject _this?_" he said, his arrogance returning.

Latts just laughed and gave him another quick kiss. "You're the only one who thinks that. Now," she said, changing the subject, "how long until we get to Mustafar?"

"About an hour, according to the navi-computer," he answered.

"Okay, well I'm going to take a shower before we arrive." She got up and headed for the Refresher.

Dengar grabbed a hold of her uninjured arm with a look of concern. "How is your arm?"

She blushed a dark purple. _Even now he is still worrying about me._

"It's almost completely healed. Nothing to worry about. Now can I go take a shower?" she asked, almost laughing.

He grinned at her. "Of course."

She left to the Refresher. Dengar could hear the water start. He redirected his attention back to hyperspace and fell deep into thought.

_Well, now at least I know she does care. Good, I'm not the only one. She is gorgeous. Hopefully I'll live through this contract long enough to actually enjoy time with her. _

He spent a lot of time thinking about her, so long that she finished showering and sat back next to him without him noticing.

She was about to ask what was wrong when the ship came out of hyperspace in the Mustafar system. The dark planet shone a dark orange, with pools of lava dotting the surface. The surface seemed barren, almost dead.

Dengar snapped out of his daze and turned off the autopilot. Taking the controls, he asked, "Hey Latts, could you start up the scanners?"

She nodded in response and began to scan the surface for their target. About a half an hour passed, and they still had not found the correct building. Then, she came across a separatist controlled base with the Neimoidian's ship on the landing platform. She grinned and got Dengar's attention.

"Found it. The coordinates are 45 degrees north, 25 degrees west."

"Got it, I'm heading down now," he answered.

Dengar started the landing sequence as he approached the magma planet's surface.

"Hey sweetheart, I'm going to land about a mile away from the station to keep our element of surprise," he stated.

"Alright," she said, grabbing her weapons.

The ship landed on the hot, lava-covered planet. The sky was covered by thick, dark clouds from which a continuous rain of ash fell. Dengar got up and Latts tossed him his rifle. They exited and surveyed the surrounding area for any threats.

"Clear," Dengar shouted. "This way darling. It's about a mile west, or can't you run that far?"

Latts rolled her eyes at him and started moving. In about fifteen minutes, after maneuvering around multiple pools of lava, they reached the facility. It clung to the side of a ridge, hanging out over the erupting lava rivers. Ray shields protected it from the hot molten rock, like most of the other buildings on Mustafar.

Latts grabbed her visor and checked the main entrance. Two Magnaguard droids stood guard. She smirked and faced Dengar. "Watch how a pro handles a fight."

She ran down the hill towards the droids. As the guards noticed her charging at them, they prepared their Electrostaffs. When she closed the distance, she grabbed onto both ends of her scarf. Sliding between the two droids, she wrapped her scarf around their legs, tripping them. As they got up, she turned and shot both of them through the head. Dengar came down from the ridge with an impressed expression. He was in love.

"Nice job, darling," he said, quickly turning and finishing a still-functioning droid, "but you missed one." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and entered the facility. Latts blushed and followed him inside.

They slowly moved through the metallic halls, checking rooms as they passed them. They ran into a few battle droids, which were hardly a challenge, but otherwise the building appeared to be empty. As they reached the end of the hallway, Dengar came across a pitch-dark room. Feeling nervous about this one, he felt he needed some help.

"Hey Latts, could you help me over here? I think this one is it," he shouted.

She nodded and ran over. "Okay." She entered the room confidently and laughed. "What, are you scared of the da-" she gasped.

The lights flicked on to reveal large Neimoidian guard lifting Latts off the ground by her neck. Another, smaller Neimoidian sat at a desk with a grin on his face. Dengar aimed his rifle straight at the larger one's head.

The small one, who was obviously their target, laughed. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, not unless you want your purple little 'girlfriend' to get a broken neck." Dengar sneered at the midget.

_Her or the money. He's right there. Just shoot him and get it over with. But she would die. You could get _all_ the money. Ugh. . . decide!_

Dengar started to sweat, fire burning in his eyes. He slowly lowered his rifle and then dropped it on the ground.

"I'll give you a choice; let her go so she can kill you quickly, or hurt her so I can tear you to pieces," he stated, strongly. He quickly looked at Latts, whose eyes were locked on him. He gave her a quick wink and she returned it. She was ready.

The target laughed. "Do it!" he shouted.

The brute was about to finish her when Latts managed a quick kick to his groin, which caused him to release his grip on her. Latts landed and side stepped, giving Dengar time to tackle the Neimoidian guard towards the window. The thug threw him off and got up only to meet Latts' foot. He crashed through the window and fell into the lava. Meanwhile, the target sat in his seat, stunned.

Dengar got up, grabbed his rifle, and faced him. "I warned you."

Latts, near the window, armed a thermal detonator. Dengar lifted the Neimoidian by his shirt collar and threw him out the window. As he fell, Latts stuck the detonator to his chest. A moment later, a low _boom_ shook the facility.

"Finally!" Dengar exclaimed. "Let's get out of here."

The bounty hunters rushed back to their spacecraft before any reinforcements could stop them. Dengar grabbed the controls and took off. As the ship reached the edge of the atmosphere, he jumped to hyperspace. With the coordinates set to Tatooine, he left the pilot seat to find Latts examining her neck in the refresher mirror.

He leaned in the doorway and knocked on the wall. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah," she answered.

Dengar walked in with a small smile. "You alright?"

She nodded, trying to hide the pain. He laughed in response.

"You know, you're a very bad actress. Come here."

She scowled at him, but complied and followed him into the cockpit. Sitting in the co-pilot seat, she allowed Dengar to examine her. He inspected her injuries, gently feeling her neck. Latts could not stop blushing, and when he noticed he found himself blushing as well. Her neck was mildly bruised, but it could be healed. He grabbed some bacta gel and dispensed it on her neck.

"How is that?" he asked.

"Much better," she sighed in relief. "Thank you."

Dengar stole a kiss from her. "No problem, sweetheart." He grabbed her hand and sat in the pilot seat. They spent the rest of the ride enjoying each other's company.

As they reached the Tatooine system, Dengar reluctantly took the controls. He flew the ship down to the planet's surface and landed outside Jabba's palace.

"Let's get our money," Dengar said as they exited.

They entered the palace and accepted their payment from Jabba. They came out, counting the credits to make sure they were not being cheated. The money was all there, so they headed for the bar, their fingers entangled in one another's.

On their way, they ran into Boba and the rest of his group.

"Where have you two been? We had a mission and you were nowhere to be found!" Boba shouted, his face angry.

"We decided to get some extra cash on a side job," Latts answered, obviously annoyed by his tone.

Boba was about to yell at them again, when he noticed them holding hands. He looked up at them with a confused look.

"When did this happen?" he asked.

Dengar gave Latts a smile and squeezed her hand tighter.

"I don't believe that's any of your business. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm treating my girlfriend to a drink," he answered with usual his cocky smile.

He pushed past an angry Boba and they left go to the bar.

Latts looked at him with a caring expression. She laid her head on Dengar's shoulder as they walked. "So how many drinks are you going to buy me?"

Dengar smiled in return. "I said _a _drink."

"Wow, even with me you're cheap," she stated with a fake frown.

Dengar laughed, "Better get used to it, sweetheart."

He kissed her forehead and they continued on their way.


End file.
